PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - HEINICKE, T.
AU  - WARDELMANN, E.
AU  - SAUERBRUCH, T.
AU  - TSCHAMPA, H.J.
AU  - GLASMACHER, A.
AU  - PALMEDO, H.
TI  - Very Early Detection of Response to Imatinib Mesylate Therapy of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumours Using 18Fluoro-Deoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography
DP  - 2005 Nov 01
TA  - Anticancer Research
PG  - 4591--4594
VI  - 25
IP  - 6C
4099  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/25/6C/4591.short
4100  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/25/6C/4591.full
SO  - Anticancer Res2005 Nov 01; 25
AB  - Aim: To investigate whether 18F-FDG-PET allows early assessment of response to imatinib mesylate in GIST patients. Patients and Methods: Five gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) patients and one patient with a KIT-positive small cell cancer were studied. Treatment consisted of 400 mg imatinib mesylate daily. 18F-deoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) scans were done before and one week after starting imatinib mesylate therapy. Results: Metabolic responses were detected after only one week of therapy in all GIST patients (four partial and one complete response). The mean decrease of the standardised uptake value was 60% (range 43 to 77%). In contrast, the tumour of the non-GIST patient was metabolically stable. Four of the 5 GIST patients achieved a partial response on CT after a mean duration of 23 weeks (range 6 to 48 weeks). Conclusion: 18F-FDG-PET is a valuable method for the detection of response to imatinib mesylate in patients with KIT-positive tumours as early as one week after starting therapy. Copyright© 2005 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved